Numismatics International Bulletin, Vol. 29, No.5

29 years of service to numismatics

Volume 29 Number 5 ISSN: 0197-3088 Price .... Two Dollars

/”"■ ' "

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

The Gurumukhi Legend on Peshawar Paisas, by Devendra Handa 115

Peruvian Bronze Centavos of 1864, by Horace P. Flatt 109

Vandalism or Art.. .or Politics of What?, by Bob Forrest — 101

Warsaw Uprising of 1944, by Arthur J. Majewski 113

DEPARTMENTS

Book News & Reviews 118

Member Notice Page 120

INSIDE N.I.

Donations Report 99

Librarian’s Report - 99

Membership Chairman’s Report 99

OTHER ITEMS

Achtbruderthaler - 114

"Cadiere" 116

Coin Collecting in Germany 112

Epirus, by Peter S. Horvitz 108

Engelsgroschen or Schreckenberger 100

England’s "Noble" 117

Kreuzer or Kreutzer 100

"Touch-Piece" - — 111

Union Penny - 107

"Vacquette" Ill

-

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MAY 1994

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93

INSIDE N.I

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

May, 1994 Applications for Membership: The following persons have applied for
membership. If no written objections are received by July 1, 1994, their membership
will become effective on that date.

2537-MT Zack Starikov, 339 Tappan St., #6, Brookline, Massachusetts 02146

(World Coins & Banknotes, U.S. Coins & Banknotes, USSR
Coins & Banknotes, Netherlands Antilles)

2438- MT Raisa M. Goykhman, c/o Bob Bittner, 30 Edwardel Road, Needham,

Massachusetts 02192

(World Coins & Banknotes, U. S. Coins & Banknotes, USSR
Coins & Banknotes)

2439- MT William B. Lowry, 2400 44th St., Apt. #119, Lubbock, Texas 79412-

1541 - (General)

DONATIONS REPORT

We have received the following donations since the last report:

Name

HAVEL, James
SMITH, David S.
MULLAN, BiU
NOLAN, John T.

Donation

$5.00 Cash
$55.00 Cash
$40.00 Cash
$15.00 Cash

Preference of Use

General Operating Fund
General Operating Fund
General Operating Fund
General Operating Fund

LIBRARIAN’S REPORT

I. Acknowledgement is made below to Horace P. Flatt for his donation to the NI
Library.

FE75.FlaH:1994:CIP/I

FLATT, HORACE P.

The Coins of Independent Peru. Volume I: 1821-1857
Pub. 1994,. 95pp., illus.

II. As mentioned in the letter by Alistar Robb that appeared in the April issue of the
BULLETIN , we now have the information on New Zealand banknotes that he wrote

99

about. One other item of interest in his letter was his reference to "... the info will
be put onto CD ROM disk.." I have already seen one encyclopedia on a CD ROM
disk, and a few weeks ago, while attending a genealogical meeting, we were informed
that a basic genealogical library was being prepared for CD ROM. This being the
new wave of the future, it might be interesting to think about what we would like to
see on a single CD ROM as a basic numismatic library.

Granvyl G. Hulse, Jr., Book Librarian
James D. Haley, Periodical Librarian

KREUZER or KREUTZER

The Kreuzer, or Kreutzer, was originally a small silver coin which appeared in the
Tyrol in the thirteenth century, and which obtains its name from a cross which was
stamped upon it, a device perhaps copied from the Byzantine coinage. In Latin
documents of this period it is referred to as Cruciatus, Crueifer, and Cruciger. The
oldest types, called Etschkreuzer or Meraner Kreuzer, bore a double cross, one
diagonally over the other.

The Kreuzer of the later type was of copper and circulated extensively throughout all
of southern Germany, Austria, and Hungary. It was usually computed at the value
of four Pfennig or eight Heller. There were, however, two standards, one of which
represented forty-eight Kreuzer to the Gulden and seventy-two to the Thaler, and in
the other, called the light Kreuzer, sixty went to the Gulden and ninety to the Thaler.
By a decree introduced January 1, 1859, the Gulden of Austria was altered from sixty
to one hundred Kreuzer.

Among the various multiples are seventeen Kreuzer for Transylvania; obsidional
eighty Kreuzer for Strasburg in 1592; and a piece of seven Kreuzer, 1802, struck for
Austria in the war against France. The Bohemian name for this coin is Krejear, and
the Hungarian form is Krajczdr.

Submitted by R. R. Kutcher

************* *************** ********* ********************************

ENGELSGROSCHEN or SCHRECKENBERGER

In the year 1490, rich silver deposits were discovered in the Schreckenberge in
Saxony, and two years later mining operations were instituted. From the ore of these
mines the Elector Frederick in (1486-1525), in conjunction with Dukes Albrecht and
Johann, ordered a new variety of Groschen to be struck in 1498. These coins had on
the obverse the figure of an angel standing and holding a shield. The coins received
the name of Engelsgroschen or Schreckenberger. Their actual value was four
Groschen and twelve Kreuzer. These pieces were issued for a long period by both
the Albertinian and the Emestinian lines.

100

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

VANDALISM OR ART....OR POLITICS OR WHAT?

Bob Forrest, Manchester, England, NI # 2382

In an earlier issue of the NI BULLETIN (1) I published an article on engraved coins
in which I drew various parallels between modern graffiti and the engraved or punch-
marked names, initials, designs etc. on 18th and 19th century coins. In this unusual
context I raised that hackneyed clich6: is it vandalism or art?

Figure 1

Shortly after doing that article, I acquired a fascinating illustration of that dictum (Fig.
1). It is a fairly worn George III halfpenny of 1806. On the obverse the king’s bust
has been engraved with a hat, overcoat and pipe. On the reverse, which appears to
have been abandoned before the engraving was finished (and perhaps it is just as
well!), Britannia has been given a bonnet and, unless my eyes deceive me, rendered
"topless". If the obverse isn’t numismatic vandalism, the putative reverse surely is,
and altogether the piece reminds me of a billboard advertisement on which the face
has been doctored with the addition of a marker-pen moustache and a pair of
spectacles; or the advertisement for women’s underwear which - well, enough said.

In contrast to the vandalism of Fig. 1, the
Cartwheel twopence of 1797 shown in Fig. 2 is
definitely art. The illustration is taken from
Lloyd Entenmann’s interesting book Love
Tokens as Engraved Coins (2) - the only book
published in this field. The coin, from the
collection of Alison Barker, is left intact save
that the outer rim and field have been stippled
with hundreds of tiny punch-marks. The inner
edge of the rim has also been adorned with
crescent shaped punch-marks. As Mr.
Entenmann says, the result is most effective and
enhances the king’s bust extremely well.

It is interesting to speculate whether Fig. 2 represents art for art’s sake or whether it
denotes some kind of affection for the king who was, by and large, a popular
monarch. The intention of Fig. 3, another Cartwheel twopence, is rather less
equivocal, and certainly far from reverential. It depicts poor old George III wearing

Figure 2

101

Figure 3

a collar and chain. Paul Withers said of this
piece that it was probably intended to equate the
unfortunate monarch to a mad dog who ought to
be chained up. I can add nothing to this save to
say that the expression "barking mad" does
spring to mind! (The king’s recurring bouts of
insanity, now known to be the results of
porphyria, are well known. However, the story
that he got out of his coach in Windsor Great
Park to talk to an oak tree, under the mistaken
impression that it was Frederick the Great of
Prussia, is only apocryphal. It appears to have
been the invention of a late 18 th century pam-
phleteer (3).)

Figure 4

Fig. 4 is another interesting piece of this type. This
time the unfortunate monarch is George IV, whose bust
on this 1826 half-crown has been skilfully engraved to
depict him as a clown. The skill of the engraving
places it in the category of art rather than vandalism,
but of more interest is the motive behind the piece. Do
we have here a skilful doodle of no symbolic intention
(by or for a circus performer, perhaps?) or do we have
a disgruntled subject’s reaction to his king’s follies!

George IV was not one of England’s most popular kings, largely on account of his
mistreatment of his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, but also for his loose living and his

Figure 5

102

extravagances. Under the latter heading we may mention his huge gambling debts
and the small fortune he squandered on the Brighton Pavilion, all ultimately paid for
out of the public purse! A favourite target for the caricaturists of the day (Fig. 5),
like Gillray and Cruikshank, his follies were also frequently and openly derided in the
press. Modem commentators are not too kind either. T. H. White said of him that
he was "considered a poltroon by nearly everybody" (4); David Williamson described
his as "a cross between Nero and Toad of Toad Hall" (5a); and Alan Palmer said that
he had "an unenviable genius for attracting ridicule" (6a). Militarily, he led
something of a Walter Mitty style existence in which he "played at soldiering in the
mimic world of his own creation" (6b). In 1798 he apparently mobilised his regiment
at Dorchester in readiness for an invasion by an enemy fleet he believed lay off the
Channel coast. Unfortunately, as the Duke of York later explained to him, the fleet
was "not an enemy, but one of our own" (6c). Later in life, he seems to have
convinced himself that he had led a charge at the Battle of Waterloo (5b). Politically,
too, he blundered about. In 1829 he apparently dismissed all his chief ministers
simultaneously, but then recanted a few hours later when he realised that this course
of action left no one to run to country for him (6d). At about this time some
newspapers were even speculating that he had inherited some of the mental instability
of his father (6e), but there is no real evidence for this.

In view of the foregoing, it is highly likely that Fig. 4 represents a numismatic
caricature of the king’s follies, though whether it relates to any specific event, or to
his reign generally, I wouldn’t like to say.

An interesting French parallel for Figs. 3 & 4 lies in
those 10 centimes pieces of Napoleon III found
engraved with a Prussian helmet, etc. Fig. 6 shows a
typical example. These pieces signify French disdain at
their emperor’s catastrophic defeat by Wilhelm I of
Prussia at the Battle of Sedan in 1870.

A war which was supposed to have been a glorious
triumph for France had gone badly wrong for them, and
after only a month, the big show-down had come at the
little town of Sedan, close to the French border with
Belgium. Louis Napoleon personally ordered the hoisting of the white flag. The next
day he formally surrendered to Wilhelm, and was sent into exile at the chateau of
Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel. Apparently he was conveyed there via Belgium so as to
avoid having to encounter the columns of defeated French troops.

Under the circumstances, Napoleon’s surrender was a sensible move: defeat had been
inevitable, and he sought to avoid further senseless loss of life. Nor did he regard his
capitulation and exile as a welcome deliverance from a tight corner. It was a painful
experience for him, and he seems to have regretted not having died along with so
many of his troops.

Unfortunately, on the way to Wilhelmshohe he could not avoid encountering some of
his defeated troops: they shook their fists at him and shouted abuse. When news of

103

the defeat reached Paris, crowds took to the streets with cries of "la decheance" -
signifying "dethronement", the disowning of their Emperor.

Popular feeling regarded Napoleon’s defeat, capitulation and comfortable exile as a
sell-out to the Prussians (7), which of course is what the Prussian helmet in Fig. 6
signifies. Many coins were defaced this way. My friend M. I. Cobwright owns a
number of such pieces, mostly of poor workmanship, but he has one superb example,
a 10 centime piece on which Napoleon has been given the obligatory Prussian helmet,
"SEDAN" has been engraved into his neck, and he has been given a collar with a
linked chain which extends to the edge of the coin - presumably making him the pet-
dog or hopeless prisoner of the Prussian king (8).

Figure 7

Fig. 7 is another, very different, engraved 10 centimes
piece of Napoleon HI. It is reproduced from Lloyd
Entenmann’s book (Plate Q, No. 136) and is from the
collection of Dennis Vorley. Superimposed on the
Emperor’s bust are a naked couple engaged in, shall we
say, a bit of Kama Sutra practice.

Now this could, as Mr. Entenmann assumes, be simply
a bit of gratuitous pornography, but I wonder myself if
it might not be another snipe at the Emperor from a
rather different direction to Sedan.

John Bierman (9a) writes of "the erotic ambience of the Second Empire" and how its
tone was set "by the example of the libidinous Louis Napoleon and his coterie of
court rou6s, eager mistresses and complaissant husbands." A man of pronounced
sexual appetite, in addition to his numerous mistresses, there were rather less romantic
encounters. There are reports of women being brought into the Tuileries for sex. A
candidate for the royal favours would be undressed in one room and sent, in the nude,
into a neighbouring room, where the naked Emperor awaited her. She would be told
by the Chamberlain: "You may kiss his majesty on any part of his person except the
face" (9b). Fig. 7, of course, could easily relate to this side of the Emperor - a
numismatic caricature akin to but rather more explicit than Fig. 5!

The likes of Fig. 6 are of known and unequivocal political significance, and it seems
highly likely that Figs. 3 & 4 are as well. Fig. 7 is only "possibly significant", and
Fig. 1 appears to be no more than a doodle with an engraving tool. Fig. 2, well, who
knows. It is interesting to speculate on where in this spectrum of significance other
engraved types fall, though there is always the danger of inventing a significance
where none was actually intended, so we do need to beware.

104

For example, Fig. 8 is a South African shilling of 1896 on which President Kruger
has been given a hat and a rather splendid Sherlock Holmes pipe. Is this another
doodle, or does it have something to do with the political events leading up to the
Boer War"?

In the 1890’s Boer national feeling was running high. The discovery of gold in the
Transvaal in 1886 had made it one of the wealthiest countries in Africa. This had
attracted large numbers of foreign settlers into the country, many of them British. By
the 1890’s these foreigners (or "Uitlanders", as they were known) almost outnumbered
the Boers, and Kruger had taken steps to limit their influence. Basically they were
denied political rights and heavily taxed. Such discrimination naturally bred
resentment, and it became one contributory factor to the outbreak of the Boer War in
1899.

Could Fig. 8 have something to do with Krugerism and Boer nationalism, or is it just
a doodle like Fig 1? Personally I might have inclined to the latter view had it not
been for the fact that there are many such pieces about. I bought my Fig. 8 from M.
I. Cobwright, whose sales list No. 49 offered for sale a total of six such pieces, all
engraved with a hat and pipe: one was a Kruger sixpence of 1893; one a shilling of
1894; three were shillings of 1896; and one a 2 xh shillings of 1896. A number of
other specimens reside in Mr. Cobwright’ s own collection. Now this repetition of the
hat-and-pipe theme is highly suggestive of political significance rather than mere
recurrent doodling. But what?

The hat and pipe are arguably a Boer "uniform" - look at many of the extant group
photographs of Boer soldiers, for example. But even assuming this, it is difficult to
decide whether Fig. 8 is pro-Kruger (an affirmation of Boer nationalism) or whether
it is contra-Kruger (a defacing of the coinage by disgruntled Uitlanders characterising
the President as the arch-Boer, and the source of their troubles). Possibly some pieces
were done by British troops during the War itself, who knows?

I asked M. I. Cobwright his views on these pieces and he proffered a number of
interesting observations. First, that they may be "trench art" of an early form. He
points out that Kruger was known as "Uncle Paul", and that perhaps the aim of these
engravings was "to make him more avuncular". Secondly, he tells me that he has a
heart-shaped piece of black wood, inscribed with the words "BOER KAMP" and with
an inset Indian rupee. This piece presumably originated in one of the concentration
camps set up by the British in 1901-2, and one wonders if some of the pieces like
Fig. 8 have a similar origin.

There appear to be no definite answers (or if there are, please let me know!), but
these pieces remain fascinating glimpses of history for all that.

Moving to Spain, now, I asked my friend Juan Jos€ Moreno y Casanova if he had
ever encountered any engraved Spanish coins similar to Fig. 1. (On my many visits
to Spain, I had never seen any.) He told me that they were not common, but that he
had encountered occasional examples. Fig. 9 is a 5 centimos piece of Alfonso XH
(1874-1885), with a cap engraved onto the king’s bust. Fig. 10 is a 10 centimos piece

105

Figure 9

of the same king with an added helmet. I have no idea of the significance, if any, of
these additions.

But let us finish back where we started, in Britain. Fig. 11 is an 1863 penny on
which Queen Victoria’s head has been doctored. The bun of her hair has been
hammered out, and she has been given a beard, together with a military hat, a jacket
with medals, and, yes, yet another pipe!

Figure 11

Figure 12

Does this piece tell us something about the perception of the Queen by one of her
subjects, as Figs. 3 & 4 tell us something about George III and George IV
respectively? Or is it just a military doodle with no symbolic message? Is it, in fact,
of no more political significance than the 1874 penny in Fig. 12, where the bust of
the Queen has had a necklace and cross added? This simple but very effective piece,
I would say, belongs to the same class as Fig. 1: the numismatic doodle. But then
who knows what actually went on in the mind of the doodler?

Notes.

(1) NI BULLETIN , October 1993, pp.233-6.

(2) Published in 1991. Available in the USA from the author at 130 Cornell
Road, Audubon, NJ 08106; in the UK from Spink & Son Ltd., 5, 6 & 7 King
Street, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6QS. My Fig. 2 is Plate Q, No. 145.

106

(3) "King George III", John Brooke, 1972, p.328 & p.392.

(4) "The Age of Scandal" (1950), p.56.

(5) "Kings and Queens of Britain" (1991), a) & b) both p.166.

(6) "The Life and Times of George IV" (1972), a) p.70; b) p.89; c) p.70; d) p.2 16;
e) p.211.

(7) In addition to engraved 10 centimes pieces, satirical medalets in similar style
were also produced. One of these is illustrated and described in my article
"Numismatic Revelations" in NI BULLETIN , March 1994, p.59.

(8) Compare the medalet described in the extract from "Notes and Queries" in NI
BULLETIN , February 1993, p.30.

(9) "Napoleon IQ and his Carnival Empire" (1989), a) p.260; b) p.241.
********************************************************************

"EAGLE” or "BRABANT"

A base silver coin sometimes called an "Eagle" was current in Ireland in the latter
part of the thirteenth century. For a time they were accepted in England at the rate
of two for a penny, but they were prohibited in 1310. The name "Brabant" was also
given to these pieces as they originated in Brabant, Flanders, or the Low Countries.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

*********************************************************************

"TANUMA GO MOMME GIN"

A Japanese silver coin issued in 1765, of a rectangular shape and valued at five
Momme was called "Tanuma Go Momme Gin", because it was said that the metal
used for this coin was silver ornaments confiscated from Japanese ladies.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

********* ******* Sic*************** ******** ****************************

UNION PENNY

Mossop, a jeweler and die-sinker of Dublin, prepared dies in 1789 for a pattern
penny. Only six specimens were struck, with two of them being presented to George
III. The name "Union Penny" was given to this pattern because of the emblematical
figures of Britannia and Hibernia on the reverse. The engraving was after the design
of Sir Joshua Reynolds. The extreme rarity of this reverse is due to the fact that the
die for it broke after the sixth striking.

107

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

EPIRUS

Peter S. Horvitz, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, NI #2215

Independent states have shown a great facility for appearing and disappearing quite
suddenly in Eastern Europe during the twentieth century. There are the Baltic states,
the Czech and Slovak states, and various countries that once were part of the Soviet
Union. This tendency is particularly marked in the Balkans and one remarks
Montenegro, Bosnia, Crete, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Fiume. But
no nation of Eastern Europe seems to have had such an ephemeral history as the
independent state of Epirus.

All of Epirus had once belonged to the Turkish Empire. In 1881, the southern portion
of the territory was ceded to Greece. In 1912 a revolt broke out in the northern
section of the remaining territory and a provisional government was formed.
Sometime during 1912-1913 a state was declared under the name of Autonomous
Epirus. In 1914 Epirus started issuing its own postage stamps with Greek
denominations. The country adopted its own flag, which showed a double-headed
eagle with outspread wings imposed over a large and wide rectangular cross. In the
eagle’s right claw is a scepter and an orb is in its left, a small equilateral cross is
above its heads. In 1916, the Greek army invaded Autonomous Epirus and its
government collapsed. Today the territory belongs to Albania.

Autonomous Epirus never got to issue its own coinage. However, I do have in my
collection a token that bears the name Epirus.

This well-worn bronze or brass token has only inscriptions on both sides. The
obverse reads THE GREAT EPIRUS GREEK RESTAURANT and the reverse reads
GOOD FOR 10 IN TRADE . This token is probably from the United States, perhaps
from New York or another large city. It may very well be possible to locate this,
considering all the excellent local catalogs of U.S. tokens that exist. These might
even be able to provide a date for the piece. But while the date of this token is
presently unknown, it certainly appears, on basis of style, to come from about the
period of Epirote independence. Given the absence of any other numismatic
souvenirs of that epoch, it is not a bad reminder of a state that barely was before it
was gone.

f

108

PERUVIAN BRONZE CENTAVOS OF 1864

Horace P. Flatt, Terrell, Texas, NI HI 857

Introduction. The scarce Peruvian bronze one and two centavos of 1864 have been
known for many years, appearing in Scott’s catalog of 1913, and noted as a part of
the famous Eklund collection1. The more common "copper" coins of 1864 are in
reality copper-nickel coins, having a composition identical to those made in the
United States (the "Flying Eagle" and "Indian Head" pennies of 1864 and earlier).
In an earlier article on Peruvian centavos2, the author noted that the origin of the
bronze coins was not known, although it was speculated that "they were minted at the
same place as were the earlier pieces after the change was made in U.S. coins." The
author has learned through subsequent experience the many pitfalls of speculation,
but, in this particular case, it is possible now to confirm the correctness of that
particular speculation.

This article reports the results of some research several years ago in the archives of
the Peruvian Foreign Ministry where detailed documentation was found concerning
both the copper-nickel and bronze centavos of that period. It is shown that the bronze
coins were in reality trial coins made in an effort to convince the Peruvian
government to adopt the same composition as that used in the United States for the
first time in 1864.

Background. The Peruvian monetary law of 14 February 1863 had specified that one
and two centavos coins be made, "corresponding to the value of the metal and the
cost of manufacture." Earlier monetary laws, unimplemented, had specified that the
coins be made of copper, but this specification, as illustrated by the pattern coins of
18553, resulted in very large coins which were considered cumbersome. The law of
1863 did not specify the composition of the small coins, but it was clear from as early
as 1862 that the Peruvians were determined to follow the example of the United
States in using a composition of 88% copper, 12% nickel. This composition allowed
the production of a smaller coin whose intrinsic value was only somewhat less than
the nominal value. Instructions were given to the Peruvian minister in the United
States, F. L. Barreda, to negotiate a contract for the production of one and two
centavos coins utilizing the copper-nickel composition. At first, it was hoped that the
U.S. mint in Philadelphia could produce the coins; however, they were too busy.
They did advise Barreda in April 1863 that he carefully consider whether the U.S.
example of the proper composition be followed, for nickel was in short supply and
the alloy was difficult to make.

Barreda felt his instructions were binding, and ultimately accepted the proposal of the
firm Holmes, Booth and Hayden of Waterbury, Connecticut. They were among the
principal suppliers of copper-nickel planchets for the U.S. mint, and agreed to mint
the Peruvian coins for $85,000 per 100,000 soles of the new coins. By October 1863,
the coins were being received in Lima, but by January 1864, production of the coins
was being delayed by the lack of nickel.

109

The Bronze Coins. The reservations expressed in April 1863 concerning the use of
the copper-nickel alloy became official in 1864 as the Director of the U.S. Mint,
James Pollock, wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury recommending a change in the
composition of the alloy4. Pollock proposed that a new alloy of 95% copper, 4% tin,
and 1% zinc (i.e., French bronze) be used. This recommendation was ultimately
accepted despite the lobbying of the nickel interests in the United States, and use of
the alloy was authorized by the coinage act of 22 April 1864.

A shipment of Peruvian coins was made on 12 February 1864, but a further shipment
was not made until 21 April. The letter accompanying the shipment noted that the
contractors had been promised a sufficient amount of nickel to complete the contract
with Peru. It further noted that the U.S. Government would probably adopt a
composition corresponding to French bronze coins using the new alloy - two coins
were enclosed for consideration.

A note of 12 May indicated that nickel was being accumulated while some repairs
were being made to the presses. On 22 May, a new shipment was made of the
copper-nickel coins and a subsequent letter of 22 August indicated that the minting
of the copper-nickel coins had ended in Waterbury on 15 August.

The letter of 21 April indicated that these very scarce bronze coins of 1864 were trial
strikes made by Holmes, Booth and Hayden in an effort to at least show the Peruvian
Government the results of using the new composition - or even to change the
composition for the coins needed to complete the contract. The contract was fulfilled
with the copper-nickel coins, nonetheless, so the effort of the company came to
naught.

Comments. The bronze coins of 1864 are very scarce, and perhaps even rare in
uncirculated condition. The coins were very inexpensive to strike, and a large number
could be made in a single day. It is evident that some coins actually went into
circulation; worn coins exist which are at first glance difficult to differentiate from
worn copper-nickel coins. Nonetheless, the uncirculated coins are spectacularly
different in appearance from uncirculated copper-nickel coins.

The copper-nickel coins made in the United State were only slowly accepted in a
country attuned to the use of silver coins. No new copper coins were made in Peru
until 1875, and then a completely different composition involving the use of silver
was adopted, thus avoiding the difficulties of the copper-nickel alloy, but still
differing in composition from the trial bronze coins of 1864. The first official use of
the bronze composition was in the two centavos coins of 1895, made in the Scovill
mint in Waterbury, Connecticut.

no

REFERENCES

1. O. P. Eklund, Copper Coins of South America (New York: American Numismatic
Society Manuscript).

2. H. P. Flatt, "Peruvian Centavos," The Numismatist 97: 254, 1984.

3. D. Taxay, The U.S. Mint and Coinage (New York: Arco Publishing Co. Inc.
1966), p.240.

4. H. P. Flatt, "The First Foreign Coins Struck at the Philadelphia Mint," The
Numismatist 99: 38-43, 1986.

"TOUCH-PIECE"

In early England, a gold coin, usually the Angel, which was handed to a person who
was suffering from the "King’s evil", a form of scrofula, a type of tuberculous of the
lymphatic glands of the neck, was called a "Touch-piece". This coin was hung
around the neck of the afflicted person by a white ribbon to effect a cure. This
practice no doubt had its origin in a belief in the power of Kings to cure diseases,
which was based on the miracle described in the gospel of St. Mark. Charles Edward
Stuart claimed to have the power of healing by touching, and so did his two sons,
Charles and Henry. The practice of touching was repudiated by William IE, and
Queen Anne at times dispensed this royal gift, but George I abandoned the practice.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

********** ************* ************* ******* ************** ************

ALMOND MONEY

The almonds of Persia were used as money in some parts of India and on the Malabar
Coast, and were called Badan, or Padens. One account states that in 1669, thirty-six
Badan were equal to one Paisa, a small copper coin.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

*************************************************************ik.**it^^

"VACQUETTE"

"Vacquette", a little cow, was the nickname that was given to a billon Liard that was
struck by the Cicomtes de B6am in the early part of the fifteenth century. This type
was copied by Henri IV of France about 1608. On these coins the field was quartered
with two cows and two crowned letter H. In the inventory of the Chateau de Pau,
1561-1562, "Cinq vacquettes d’or de B6ard" are mentioned, but these were most
certainly trial-pieces as the Vacquette was always of billon or base silver.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

111

COIN COLLECTING IN GERMANY

Coin collecting has a long tradition in Germany. The first notes of coin collecting
date back to the end of the Middle Ages, and the first coin books in the German
language were probably printed in 1572. During the 18th century there have been
several coin magazines, some lasted for decades and one was published even weekly.

Although there have been exceptions, coin-collecting in Germany was regarded to be
a hobby for the "upper class" for centuries. It was not before about 1960 that this
hobby got enough popularity for every part of the German population.

Like in the USA a considerable part of German coin-collectors have specialized in the
coins of their own country. Many of them collect "type" coins but there are also
people trying to accumulate every year and mintmark they can obtain. Only very few
German coin-collectors specialize in so-called "error coins" as most numismatists
consider those items to be imperfect coins which should not have left the mint.

Many collectors have concentrated in German coins issued since 1871 when the Mark
denomination was introduced. This seems to be rather a short time, but, as there are
very many different coins, including extremely rare ones, it seems to be almost
impossible to get a complete collection of this period.

A considerable number of collectors have specialized in the coins of a certain German
area: from the Middle Ages to the present. Sometimes these collections include
tokens, notgeld and even commemorative medals. A great part of numismatic
research is currently being done by such "regional" collectors, and there is still an
increasing amount of specialized literature devoted to coins, medals and other
numismatic material from a certain area. Not too many collectors, but comparatively
many more than in the USA, have decided to concentrate on coins of foreign
countries. Some specialize in very old material like Celts, Greek or Roman coins, a
few are fascinated by the pieces issued in the Middle Ages and more are collecting
the coins of one or several modern countries they are fond of. Of course there are
collectors of tokens, commemorative medals, banknotes and even numismatic
literature as well.

Many German collectors get their material at coin shows or they order from lists
issued by coin dealers. There are, however, many direct contacts to foreign collectors
and dealers as well.

Submitted by Reinhold Jordan

*********************************************************************

POLAND’S EARLIEST PAPER MONEY

In 1794, during Kosciusko’s uprising against the Russian and Prussian invaders,
Warsaw released treasury notes in Zlote denominations of 5 through 1000, and later
that year in smaller denominations of 5 & 10 Groszy and 1 Zlote.

112

WARSAW UPRISING OF 1944

(50th Anniversary Commemoration)

Arthur J. Majewski, Detroit, Michigan, Nl # 1166

August 1, 1944 marks the 50th anniversary of the Polish Uprising against the Nazis
in World War II. On that date, half a century ago, General Bor-Komerowski, at the
head of a poorly armed underground force, rebelled openly against the German
occupation. By August 6, Polish troops took control of most of their capital, Warsaw.
The Nazi SS contingent, however, entered the fray at this point. Until October 2,
when General Bor-Komerowski surrendered, the German armies razed Warsaw while
the Russian allied soldiers sat on their hands on the other side of the Wisla River.

This failure to assist an ally was the basis of one of the great disagreements between
the allied government of World War n. Russia’s massive offensive (300 miles wide,
350 miles long, from Belorussia to Warsaw), with more German casualties than that
experienced at Stalingrad, came to a screeching halt at the Wisla River. The Russian
assertion that they had outrun their supplies, and thus could not assist the Poles on
the other side of the river, had four logical weaknesses:

1. Russian authorities refused landing rights on territories under their control
to allied air forces willing to help Polish fighters.

2. Russian foreign policy envisioned control of Poles and Polish lands. On
July 25, 1944, they established the Lublin Committee, puppets of their
choosing. This policy created a situation wherein Poland was chained to
communism for the next half century.

3. On July 29, 1944, Russians broadcast a plea for Poles in Warsaw to revolt
against German occupation.

4. Contemporary history indicated an anti-Polish orientation in the division
of Poland between Russia and Germany. Polish authorities were left with an
alternative of choosing between occupiers or an attempt at re-establishing an
independent state.

Events of those days have left but two relics: memories and a numismatic item, the
Warsaw Uprising Cross. This award was established in 1984 to honor the participants
in this uprising. This decoration’s description is as follows:

Obverse: Center design displays an anchor with a "P"

incorporated on top thereof. This was the symbol of
the Polish underground. It formed a "PW" and
represented "Polska Walczaca" (Fighting Poland).

Under this design is an enameled Polish flag. On the
horizontal arms of the cross "I.VHI" appears on the left
and "1944" on the right.

113

i

Reverse: In the center a design in the shape of a football (with a

wreath in the inner border) appears. On the horizontal
arms "Powstancom Warszawy" (For the Warsaw
Insurgents) is seen. The surface of the cross has a
pebbled appearance.

Size: 45mm x 45mm.

Metal: Silvered.

t

Ribbon: 40mm in width. Colors: red and white strips (Polish flag) in

the middle, and blue and black stripes (Order of Virtuti
Militari) on each side thereof. The flag stripes are
wider than the blue and black stripes.

The Warsaw Uprising Cross can be granted posthumously.

ACHTBRUDERTHALER

Achtbruderthaler is the name that was given to a series of Thaler coins that were
struck in Sachsen-Weimar from 1605 through 1620. These large coins have the busts
of the eight sons of Duke Johan Ernst, four busts on each side. There is also a rare
variety that has all eight portraits on one side of the coin.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

114

THE GURUMUKHI LEGEND ON PESHAWAR PAISAS

Devendra Handa, Chandigarh , India, NI # 2404

Peshawar, which formed part of the Mughal dominions, was conquered by Nadir Shah
Abdali during his Indian invasion in October, 1738 when Muhammad Shah was ruling
from Delhi. After the former’s death in 1747 AD (1160 AH), it fell to the Durranis
who made it their winter capital. The Sikhs took it in November, 1818 but Ranjit
Singh’s governor Jahandad Khan was driven out by Yar Muhammad Khan, a brother
of Dost Muhammad, the ruler of Kabul. Ranjit Singh occupied it again in March,
1824 but left it as a feudatory state under Yar Muhammad. He was, however,
attacked and mortally wounded in 1830 by Sayid Ahmad Khan, a Muslim reformer.
Ranjit Singh sent prince Sher Singh and General Ventura at the head of a Sikh army
which recaptured the town. Sultan Muhammad Khan, the brother of Yar Muhammad,
was appointed the new ruler of Peshawar. It was, however, recaptured on May 6,
1834 (VS 1891) by the Sikh army led by prince Nau Nihal Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa
and General Ventrura. The 14 year old prince was appointed the governor but the
real power lay with Hari Singh Nalwa, who is said to have been granted even the
right of striking his own coins by Ranjit Singh. The Gobindshahi rupees struck at
Peshawar during VS 1891 to 1894 are generally attributed to Hari Singh Nalwa.1 He
was killed on April 30, 1837 at the fort of Jamrud by Akbar Khan, a son of Dost
Muhammad, the ruler of Kabul.

When they recaptured Peshawar in VS 1891 (=1834 AD), the Sikhs overstruck
various types of local copper coins on one side with Gurumukhi legend which, but
for the year (VS) 1891, has not been read as yet.2

115

Peshawar in Persian script may be seen on the obverse of coin nos. 2 and 3. On the
top of the reverse of coin nos. 1 and 3, the date is clear. It seems to have been worn
out on coin no. 2. The numerals indicate the impact of Dogri-Takari numerals
indicating the die-cutter to have hailed from the Jammu region.

The legend is definitely in Gurumukhi script.3 It, however, does not seem to have
been copied very faithfully by Hans Herrli.4 The legend under the date is in two
lines on all three specimens illustrated above. The initial letter has got the medial
vowel mark for e aqd though it has not been engraved or copied correctly, it can be
deciphered as De (~v ) with certitude. The following letter is quite clear on all the
specimens. It is ( 3T ). The last letter of this line is also very clearly (3"). The
second coin preserves the full form of the first letter of the second line and it may be
read as ( JT ). The middle letter of this line, too, does not seem to have been
engraved or copied correctly. It is doubtlessly ph ( s),5 followed by ( 3" ). The
whole legend can, thus be restored as g^jr 5^7 33 ( Deg Teg Phate) i.e. Deg Teg
Fath without even a shred of doubt. These are the initial three words of the
Gobindshahi legend and are regarded as very significant terms in Sikhism.6

Notes and References

1. Hans Herrli, The Coins of the Sikhs. Indian Coin Society, Nagpur, 1993, pp. 199-

202.

2. Ibid., p. 203 (Type 13.04.11).

3. Herrli ( loc . cit .) says that it "is probably written in Gurumukhi script."

4. The legend may not have been clearly visible on the specimens examined by
Herrli.

5. It stands for F. In Gurumukhi script there is no letter for this sound and therefore
ph has been used. See the Gurumukhi legend on Gobindshahi rupees of VS 1892
(Herrli, op. cit., pp. 139-40).

6. For a good discussion of the meanings and significance of these terms see Surinder
Singh, "The Legends on Sikh Coins", Numismatic Studies, Vol. I, New Delhi, 1991,
pp. 133-156. The generally accepted connotation of Deg Teg Fath, however, is
"Prosperity, Power & Victory".

********************************************************************

"CADIERE"

A billon coin of France called "Cadiere" was issued for Dauphine by Charles V the
Wise and was retained by his successor Charles VI. Anne, Queen of France and
Duchess of Bretagne, later struck a gold type of this coin which was called the
Cadiere d’Oro, around 1498.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

116

ENGLAND’S "NOBLE"

A gold coin of England first issued in 1344 in the reign of Edward III was called a
Noble and was the successor to the Florin. Its original value by proclamation was six
Shillings and eight Pence, and no one could refuse to take then in sums of twenty
Shillings and upwards. At the same time there were issued half Nobles that were
called Ferling Nobles with their value being in proportion.

The name of the coin is supposed to be derived from the noble nature of the metal
of which it was composed, as it had only one half of a grain of alloy.

The prominent feature of the coin is the great ship in which stands the King holding
a sword and a shield, from which circumstance the coins are sometimes referred to
as Ship Nobles. The ship may commemorate the naval victory which the English
fleet, commanded by the King in person, obtained over the French fleet at Sluys, on
Midsummer Day, 1340, and as an old rhyme states:

"Foure things our noble sheweth unto me.

King, ship, and sword, and power of the sea."

The legend on the Noble was IHC AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIYM ILLORVM
IBAT, which was taken from the Gospel of St. Luke and it was explained to mean
that "as Jesus passed invisible and in most secret manner by the middest of the
Pharisees, so gold was made by invisible and secret art amidst the ignorant." A
legend also states that it was put upon the coins "because Ripley, the Alchymist, when
he made gold in the Tower, the first time he found it, he spoke these words, 'per
medium eorum,’ i.e., per medium ignis et sulphuris."

The large cross on the reverse has various letters in the centre: E for Edward, L for
the London Mint, and one struck at Calais had a C. Those of the succeeding
monarchs have R for Richard, and H for the Henries.

The original weight of the Noble was one hundred and thirty-eight and six thirteenths
grains; in 1346, it was reduced to one hundred and twenty-eight and four sevenths
grains, and in 1351 it was further reduced to one hundred and twenty grains, although
retaining the same nominal value of six Shillings and eight Pence. Henry IV, in
1412, reduced to weight to one hundred and eight grains, and Edward IV in 1465
restored it to its former weight of one hundred and twenty grains. However, he raised
its value to ten Shillings, and to distinguish the new Nobles from the old ones he
stamped a rose on each side of them, from which they received the name of Rose
Nobles, corrupted into Royals or Ryals, a name that was borrowed from the French.
The white rose was the badge of the King’s family.

The Noble was copied in Burgundy and by the Archdukes of Austria. It was also
closely imitated in the Low Countries under the name of Gouden Nobel and
Rosenobel. In a proclamation by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, as Governor in
the Low Countries, mention is made of the various unlawful coins then current, and
among them is Nobilis Rosatus, struck in Gorcum by the authority of Don Antonio,
of which one side is said to agree with the English Noble.

117

BOCK NEWS & REVIEWS

THE COINS OF INDEPENDENT PERU VOELME I; 1821 - 1857. By Horace Flatt.
Haja Enterprises, 1994. Blue card covers, 95 pages, and well-
illustrated with extensive annotated bibliography. Available fran Dale
Seppa, 103 Sixth Avenue North, Virginia, MN 55792. Price is $12.00
postpaid in the United States (Foreign add $5.00 far registry, if
desired) .

To collectors and researchers involved in Latin American numismatics,
the name of Horace Flatt is well-known, chiefly for his series of well-
researched articles in several areas of Peruvian numismatics.
Typically, Flatt will delve deeply into a little known area, such as
coins of the Pasco mint or debased Bolivian coinage ('^moneda feble")
in the first half of the nineteenth century. These topics are present
in this book as well, tut they have been placed within the broader
framework of post-independence South American history and economics.

Flatt begins with a brief review of modem research, his own included,
into Peruvian numismatics. His first chapter, "The Spanish Legacy,"
explains in great detail the complicated system of weights, finenesses,
and minting officials which Spanish America inherited from the mother
country as part of its colonial antecedents. For the generalist, this
clearest of all explanations of a most complex subject, along with the
subsequent chapter entitled, "The Revolutionary Period, " should be more
than enough incentive to purchase the book.

Author Flatt goes on to elucidate 36 years of turbulent Peruvian
monetary history, a history which rivals that of countries such as
Mexico or Colombia in its complexity. The production of the mints at
Lima, Pasco, Cuzco, and Arequipa is analyzed in great detail. The
abundant information included is the result of decades of research by
Flatt at archives and libraries in Peru, Bolivia, Spain, the United
States, and the United Kingdom. Certainly his cwn efforts were in
addition to those who came before him and those who helped him directly
as he duly acknowledges in the book.

The hard work which gave birth to THE COINS OF INDEPENDENT PERU shews
in the wealth of detail exhibited on every page. Yet it remains as
readable as a Bowers' "Action Guide." It is the type of work which is
seemingly familiar despite its somewhat esoteric subject matter. As
the author modestly remarks: "I have decided it is time to organize
the material in a more systemic way." While his previously published
articles on Bolivian "moneda feble," for example, included somewhat
more "hard, quantifiable data" than does this presentation, the
reviewer must confess that he had not previously understood its broader
context, i.e., how such coinage affected the monetary history of the
entire Andean region. Flatt even indicates that this "deadly cancer
. . . helped trigger a war between Peru and Bolivia."

Highlighting such events as the last issue of Spanish colonial coinage,
produced during the siege of Callao in 1826, and the influence of
Peru's guano exports on the modernization of the coinage process in the

118

1840's, Flatt's first book-length effort is a treat for even the mildly
curious reader, and a •‘must read" for true lovers of Latin American
numismatics.

Reviewed by David B. Fiero.

*****

Readers interested in purchasing a copy of CANADIAN ARCADE AND MACHINE
TOKENS HANDBOOK ($28.00 Canadian, postpaid) , which was reviewed in the
March 1994 NI BULLETIN, are advised that the full address of the author
is Jack Sauchenko, 13559 124 A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T5L
3B4 .

*********************************************************************

"FARUKI"

"Faruki" is the name given to the gold Pagodas of Mysore by Tipu Sultan in the year
A.M. 1216 (1787 A.D.). This was the year following his new system of dates based
on the Muludi, the year of the birth of the Prophet. The name was derived from
Omar Faruk, the second Khalifa.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

★ 'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k-k'k'k'k'k'k ★★★★★★★★★★★

"Bacca di Allemagna"

According to Proinis ( Monete del Piemonte ) "Bacca di Allemagna" was the term that
was used in Piedmont for a coin of two Soldi. In 1548, the Scudo of Savoy was
equal to 22 ]A Bacca.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

★ 'k'k'k'k'k 'k'k-k-k'k'k'k'k'k’k'k-k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k'k

"CACHE”

A copper coin called "Cache" was issued by France from 1720 to 1837 for its
possessions in Pondichery and Karikal on the Coromandel Coast. There is a detailed
account of the many varieties of these coins in Histoire monetaire des cobnies
francaises, by Zay (1892).

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

119

MEMBER NOTICE PAGE

Kenneth M. MacKenzie. 15 Pine Street, Tenaflv, NJ 07670: WANTED - Tokens
issued for use in the USAF clubs etc. in Turkey, such as Ankara, Incirlik, Diyarbakir
Samsun and other NCO Messes, and Officer’s Club Izmir. Please describe.

Howard A. Daniel PI, P. O. Box 626, Dunn Loring, VA 22027-0626: Vietnamese
telephone and other tokens from north and south Viet Nam wanted for my collection.
No U.S. military please. If you do not have one to sell or trade, I would like to know
that you have one in your collection and a photocopy of both sides. Please call me
at 1-703-560-0744 if you would like to talk to me about your piece(s).

Reinhold Jordan, Freitagstrasse 32, D- 97422 Schweinfurt, Germany: I collect
commemorative medals picturing Viking ships and coins related to medieval
kingdoms of Vikings and Normands.

Ralph A. Cannito, Box 304, Washington, NJ 07882: WANTED - Islamic/ Arabic:
all hammered silver coinage from 622 AD to 1900 AD. I am especially interested in
rupees, multiple and Nazarana rupees of Afghanistan, Indian Princely States and the
Mughal, Ottoman & Persian Empires. Buying one coin or a collection. Dealer and
collector offers are welcome, ANA R068117.

"DA ALDER” or "DAELDER"

In Brabant and various provinces of the Low Countries, the Thaler was called
"Daalder" or "Daelder". This coin varied in value, in some parts of the Netherlands
it was the same as two Gulden and five Stuivers, while in others it was equal to
thirty-two Patards.

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

********************************************************************

"ESPADIM"

A gold coin called "Espadim", struck by Portugal under the rule of Joannes II (1481-
1495), was the one half of the Justo. The coin obtained its name from the device of
a hand holding a sword (espada). A silver coin of the same type was issued by
Alfonso V (1438-1481).

(Submitted by R. R. Kutcher)

120